Committee Being Considered for Jackson Avenue Bus Loop

With an influx of opinions and a multitude of suggestions, views and options, the is considering forming a committee made up of residents and other parties to come up with a solution to various proposals for the .

With as well as proposals about how a loop should be constructed, board president Christine Napolitano suggested during the board of education’s April 17 meeting at the forming a committee of “residents and parents to sit with Dr. Nagler to go over possible solutions and then have them present it to us.”

Requesting that the size of the committee be made up of 10 persons or less, she compared it to the “Triple-C” meetings or a town hall setting where the public could sit in and give their opinions.

“I’m just seeing if there is something else out there that we haven’t thought of,” Napolitano said, “I think it’s appropriate for them to have the forum to speak.”

Board vice-president William Hornberger felt it was important to have community members representing the various interest groups like local residents, parents of walkers, parents of bussers “so you can sort of get the full scope if you will of who will be impacted and who wouldn’t.”

Trustee Terence Hale suggested that the committee should be formed first in order to formulate ideas and bring them to their neighbors before opening it up to the general public.

“I think you need to get a base, you just can’t have a town hall,” he said.

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In order to pay for the bus loop, the district will be making a , or savings account, not only because of its affect on the budget but also the transfer must be made and in order to do the work this coming school year. A portion of the money will also pay for the .

“We do not have to spend it, we have plenty of time to make a decision about the bus loop, we don’t have plenty of time to put it in the budget,” Dr. Nagler said. “We’re airing on the side of ‘we may want to do the work, transfer the money.’ You’re under no obligation to do the work. If you choose not to do the work, that money just goes back into fund balance at the end of next year.”

The transfer is not in the tax levy portion of the 2012-13 school budget, instead coming from savings. The district made a similar move to help pay for the project at the . However, money for the project was in the levy last year.

“If it’s not in the levy, it doesn’t hurt the tax levy calculation for next year,” the superintendent said. “If you spend it in the levy, you’re obligated to take it out.”

The actual costs of the projects are not set as the district will go out for bid once the district receives approval from the projects back from the state. Dr. Nagler stated that the district would award the Meadow Drive Library project before the bus loop.